1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling equipment in a semiconductor manufacturing system, and more particularly, to a method for automatically controlling the operating states of units of equipment in real time by a unit operating state monitoring module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the fabrication of semiconductor devices involves highly precise processes that require finely tuned precision equipment. Several pieces of precision equipment are typically employed in sequence and arranged on a semiconductor processing line. The operation of each piece of precision equipment on the line is closely monitored by operators to maintain and enhance the efficiency of the processing line.
As shown in FIG. 1, conventional fabrication equipment 3 are disposed on a conventional processing line. When a lot 10 of workpieces, such as wafers, are introduced into the equipment 3, the equipment 3 performs a fabrication process on the lot 10. The equipment 3 is connected on-line to a host computer 1 through an equipment server (not shown). An operator interface (O/I) 2, for example an operator interface personal computer (O/I PC), is also connected on-line to the host computer 1. Through the O/I 2, an operator informs the host computer 1 that a process using the equipment 3 is about to commence. The operator inputs into the host computer 1 basic manufacture data, e.g., the identification number (ID) of the lot 10 to be processed in the equipment 3 and the ID of the equipment 3 for performing the process with the lot 10.
Then, based on the input basic manufacture data, the host computer 1 searches its data base for the process condition data to be applied to the process on the lot 10. The host computer 1 immediately downloads these process condition data, including preset process settings, to the equipment 3. Process settings may include, for example, a desired process time duration or a desired process temperature.
Thereafter, the operator checks the process condition data and inputs a process commencing command or a process terminating command. The lot 10 is then automatically and rapidly routed into and out of the equipment 3. In this manner, the process equipment 3 performs on the workpieces of each lot 10 based on the process settings received.
The equipment 3 performs the process on the lot 10 by operating units or components of the equipment, e.g., loading and unloading ports (not shown) and chambers 4.
While the equipment 3 perform the process with the lot 10, the operator closely monitors the operation of the equipment 3 and their units through the O/I 2. If any problem occurs in a certain unit, e.g., in a certain chamber of the chambers 4, the operator immediately turns off the equipment 3 to stop the whole process. Thereby, operating problems due to processing a lot 10 with an abnormally operating unit are prevented.
However, such a conventional system for controlling semiconductor fabricating equipment suffers from several problems. First, it is difficult for the operator to recognize in real time that any abnormal operation is occurring in only a few units of the equipment, and the other units of the equipment are operating normally. As a result, the process line can not be immediately modified to adjust to the abnormally operating units, i.e., the abnormally operating units cannot be isolated immediately from the normal fabrication processing flow.
Secondly, if lots 10 are introduced into the abnormally operating units during the delay in the operator""s recognition of which units are operating abnormally, production problems may occur, e.g., defective workpieces may be produced in the abnormally operating units.
Thirdly, when abnormally operating units are recognized, the whole equipment is turned off to repair the abnormally operating unitsxe2x80x94even if the processing line could continue with the normal units of the equipment. This results in degraded operational efficiency of the entire process line.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to prevent production problems due to abnormally operating units by recognizing the operating states of units of equipment in real time and isolating the abnormally operating units, using an unit operating state monitoring module included in a host computer.
It is another object of the present invention to enhance the operational efficiency of a processing line by turning off only the abnormally operating units individually, using the unit operating state monitoring module.
To achieve the above objects and other objects and advantages of the present invention, a method for controlling equipment in a semiconductor fabrication system includes automatically receiving operating data from equipment in a semiconductor fabrication system indicating operating conditions of units of the equipment. Reference data corresponding to the equipment are retrieved from a data base and indicate operating ranges for the respective units. It is then determined whether the operating conditions are within the operating ranges for the respective units. If the operating conditions are within the operating range for all the units, the method returns to automatically receiving operating state data. If the operating conditions are not within the operating range for a certain unit, in a variable ID a key value corresponding to the certain unit is changed indicating a change in the operating state. The operating state of the unit is then actually modified by inserting the variable ID into a equipment control message and downloading the equipment control message into the equipment. As a result, operation problems due to abnormally operating units in equipment are prevented without turning off the whole equipment, and productivity of the processing line is enhanced.